Scottish Executive

Central Heating

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider extending its central heating initiative to homes where the only form of heating is provided by under-floor or warm air heating.

Jackie Baillie: For the next few years, the Central Heating Programme will focus entirely on the most vulnerable households: those lacking any form of central heating. We have already announced that the programme will be extended from 2004 so that 20,000 local authority dwellings can be upgraded from partial central heating systems to whole-house systems. The programme may be further widened thereafter and we will carefully consider the scope of any such extension so that help goes to those who need it most.

Child Protection

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the aims and remit of the child protection review are and what plans for consultation there are.

Nicol Stephen: The aims and remit of the child protection review are:

  Aims

  To promote the reduction of abuse or neglect of children, and to improve the services for children who experience abuse or neglect.

  Remit

  To review, throughout Scotland, the practice of medical, nursing, social work, police, children’s reporters’, education and other public, voluntary and private sector staff to examine how well these:

  identify those children who may be being abused or neglected;

  reduce such abuse and neglect;

  meet these children’s needs, and

  make plans for the future well being of these children.

  To review how well agencies work together and public and professional confidence in these services.

  To review how well professionals work together and public and professional confidence in the way they work.

  To identify best practice.

  To learn lessons from international developments in this field.

  To report and make recommendations to improve professional working and the regulatory framework in which professionals operate.

  Consultation

  A letter seeking the views and comments of individuals and agencies involved in child protection will shortly be sent out. In addition a website is to be launched that, as well as providing information on the review, will offer anyone the opportunity to have their say. The review team is also carrying out a number of initiatives, in partnership with voluntary agencies, designed at getting the views of children and parents. A consultative group has been formed that represents a wide range of statutory and voluntary agencies involved in child protection in Scotland. The review team is carrying out individual discussions with experts in child protection and children and parents will be consulted as part of the audit.

Climate Change

Iain Smith (North-East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made towards reducing the emission of greenhouse gases, outlining any estimated quantifiable reductions that will result from current policies which are in operation.

Rhona Brankin: Figures published in the Scottish Climate Change Programme  (available on the Executive's website at www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/environment/ccm.pdf) show that Scottish emissions of greenhouse gases fell by 3% over the period 1990-98. Figures for 1999 will be published in due course. Estimated quantifiable reductions from policies expected to lead to emission reductions are shown in Table 2 of the Programme.

  We plan to publish soon projections of Scottish CO2 emissions in the period to 2010 and to 2020.

Climate Change

Iain Smith (North-East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive why Scotland did not reduce CO 2 emissions by the same proportion as England during the 1990s and what steps will be taken to ensure that Scotland makes a proportionate and equitable contribution to the reduction in greenhouse gases under the Kyoto Protocol.

Rhona Brankin: Direct comparisons between emissions in England and Scotland must take account of factors such as differences in geography and energy mix. For example, Scottish emissions from the energy sector rose between 1990 and 1998 in contrast to those in England where they fell. This can be attributed mainly to increased Scottish exports of electricity to England (an activity which supports Scottish jobs) and to the significant shift from coal to gas generation in England over that period.

  Measures in place, and planned through the Scottish Climate Change Programme (available online at www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/environment/ccm.pdf) and awareness raising initiatives, including our do a little: change a lot campaign (www.dochange.net), will ensure that Scotland makes an equitable contribution to the UK Kyoto commitment.

Community Care

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide additional support and advice to carers in order to increase the uptake of the Direct Payments Scheme.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive is committed to supporting carers and we are already making a difference to the lives of many. Under the Carers Strategy , we have doubled the resources available to local authorities to support carers, including the provision of advice and information as well as more practical support. From this April authorities are also receiving additional funds, over the next three years, to increase significantly the availability of short break services, benefiting many more carers and the people they care for.

  The Community Care and Health Bill, currently before Parliament, will increase the rights of carers to an assessment of their support needs. The Bill also proposes to extend the availability of direct payments to all client groups and to place a duty on local authorities to offer direct payments as an element in the overall package of care. Increased access to direct payments will inevitably benefit many people requiring support and their carers, particularly when it comes to purchasing short breaks. Guidance from the Executive will accompany the Bill, covering a range of issues affecting carers.

Community Care

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive why net expenditure on social work for adult offenders has been reduced by £1.45 million between 1996-97 and 1999-2000, as detailed on page 78 of the Scottish Community Care Statistics 2000 .

Malcolm Chisholm: In addition to monies drawn from GAE, the Scottish Executive provides 100% direct funding to local authorities for community-based criminal justice social work services. This is reflected in the Gross Expenditure figures as detailed on page 78 of the Scottish Community Care Statistics 2000 .

Community Care

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what "non-specific expenditure" covers, as detailed in Table 7.1 on page 78 of the Scottish Community Care Statistics 2000 , and why it was reduced by £49.82 million between 1996-97 and 1999-2000.

Malcolm Chisholm: "Non-specific expenditure" covers:

  1. "Service Strategy and Regulation"

  Some specific areas covered here are: strategic information, research and planning, director of social work costs, registration and inspection team costs, etc.

  2. "Social Service Management and Support Services"

  Some costs included here are: personnel, finance, training, administration, etc.

  The level of spending in any one year across Scotland, as a whole, reflects decisions taken by individual local authorities as to their priorities for spending, based on their knowledge of local circumstances.

Drug Misuse

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the illegal use of cocaine by young people has increased since 1997 and what the medical effects of cocaine abuse are.

Iain Gray: Information from the Scottish Misuse Database indicates an increase in the last five years in reported use among new clients attending drug services. In 1996-97, 78 (2.1%) of people under 25 attending services reported cocaine as one of their drugs of use. By 2000-01 this figure had risen to 231 (4.8%).

  Several serious medical problems can be associated with cocaine misuse, including increased risks of myocardial infarctions and stroke. Other problems can include paranoia and psychosis, damage to nasal passages, hypertension, increased body temperature and agitated delirium. Intravenous use carries all the health risks associated with injecting illegal drugs. Smoking crack cocaine can lead to lung damage and chest pain.

Drug Misuse

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive why local authorities spent £1,855,000 less in relation to substance misuse in 1999-2000 than in 1996-97, as detailed on page 78 of the Scottish Community Care Statistics 2000 .

Malcolm Chisholm: The level of spending in any one year across Scotland as a whole reflects decisions taken by individual local authorities as to their priorities for spending, based on their knowledge of local circumstances. We expect to see increasing figures in 2001-02 arising from the Executive's record investment in social work and, in particular, the £6.8 million we provided to local authorities in 2001-02 to expand drug rehabilitation services in their areas.

Drug Misuse

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health report Behavioural Patterns of Injecting Drug Users in Highland , what is being done to address the problem of methadone users who also continue to inject illegal substances.

Iain Gray: The report was commissioned by NHS Highland to provide them with accurate and contemporary information on drug misuse to assist service planning.

  We will, however, review the report. Current clinical guidelines provide advice on the management of patients where continued misuse of illegal drugs is suspected.

Drug Misuse

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce a protocol which includes guidelines on the testing of individuals in order to prevent the abuse of methadone prescriptions by those who continue to inject illicit substances and therefore minimise the danger of death by overdose.

Iain Gray: The Executive has no plans to introduce such a protocol. Current clinical guidelines already include advice on monitoring of patients, adjusting doses of prescribed substitute drugs where continued use of illegal drugs is confirmed, examination for physical signs of injecting and testing for misuse of illegal drugs.

Drug Misuse

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people on the methadone prescription programme are monitored to ensure that they are not exposing themselves to risk by continuing to take illegal drugs, whether administered personally or by others.

Iain Gray: Statistics are not held centrally. Current clinical guidelines provide advice on patient monitoring and testing for signs of continued use of illegal drugs.

Education

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what forms of assistance are provided by it or by other bodies on its behalf to schools and colleges seeking to offer tuition in technical skills such as computer repair, networking, web design, graphic art and computer programming.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Financial resources are provided by the Scottish Executive to schools through education authorities, and to further education (FE) colleges via the Scottish Further Education Funding Council. The Executive places a high priority on ensuring that both school and college students have a wide range of opportunities to develop technical and information and communication technology related skills. For instance, £29 million is being provided to FE colleges over the period 1999–2002 specifically for investment in all aspects of ICT.

Enterprise

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made since September 1999 in improving access to Executive procurement opportunities for small- and medium-sized businesses.

Angus MacKay: The Executive has introduced a number of measures aimed at improving access to procurement opportunities. A website, www.scotland.gov.uk/procurement, was launched in November 1999. The site provides information on the types of goods and services the Executive procures and guidance for those wishing to sell to the Executive. In 2000, the Executive introduced an online "business enquiry" service (available through the website above). The business enquiry service provides an easy way for potential suppliers to register their interest in selling to the Executive.

  Also, UK ministers recently announced that bidders for Government contracts were no longer to be required to have three years audited financial accounts and were no longer to be required to assume unlimited liability in all cases. I am pleased to say that the Executive already operated on this basis.

Enterprise

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to publish guidance in plain English for small- and medium-sized businesses on compliance with regulations issued by it or by other bodies on its behalf.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive tries to ensure that all guidance, including guidance on compliance with regulations, is in plain English. For example, the Good Business Practice Guidance on writing forms and guidance notes, Good Practice Guidance on Consultation and the Executive's training courses on effective writing all stress to officials the importance of using plain English. The Small Business Gateway in the Scottish Enterprise area and Business Information source in the Highlands and Islands area provide easy access (by phone, online or face to face) to a range of information, advice and support for anyone interested in setting up or expanding a business. Information is presented to meet the varying requirements of business, from a simple overview to detailed guidance. The material available from the Small Business Gateway includes simple to understand guides on key aspects of business labelled "In a nutshell". The need for further guides is kept under continuous review.

Enterprise

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made since September 1999 in strengthening small business development by (a) supporting managerial training and (b) creating more opportunities to increase equity for small- and medium-sized businesses.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Management and Enterprise Council has received support from the Scottish Executive to map the current provision of management development training in Scotland as an aid to employers and individuals, including small- and medium-sized enterprises.

  Scottish Equity Partners continues to manage the two venture capital schemes - Scottish Equity Partnership and Scottish Technology Fund (TSF) - set up by Scottish Development Finance as joint Public/Private Partnership. Both funds have now been substantially invested. Together with evaluation of a range of other public sector supported funds (Business Growth Fund, Eastern Scotland Investments, Strathclyde Investment Partnership) the current evaluation of STF will provide a basis for any future decisions on public sector investment in this area.

Justice

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to make Sheriff Court buildings more accessible to the public.

Iain Gray: The Scottish Court Service is committed to providing full access to the courts where possible. However, the court estate is varied in age, scale and condition. Around 85% of the estate is listed. It is inevitable that there will be some areas where the court buildings cannot be made fully accessible due to insurmountable planning or technical constraints.

  Nevertheless, earlier this year, the Scottish Court Service appointed the Joint Mobility Unit, a specialist access consultant, to provide a comprehensive and detailed audit to establish the current compliance of the court estate with the Disability Discrimination Act. The results of the audit will inform plans for future investment in the estate to ensure compliance with the Act by the implementation date in October 2004.

Justice

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is conducting any research into the number of defendants appearing at court in answer to eviction notices and debt claims.

Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Executive’s Housing Research Programme has commissioned a study of mortgage arrears and repossessions. The research, which is currently at the fieldwork stage, is collecting details of repossession cases from a sample of court records in 1994 and 2000. The study is also exploring, through questionnaires and interviews, the experiences of people who have had serious arrears or have had their houses repossessed, and the policies and practices of lenders.

  The study is due for completion in spring 2002.

Justice

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to expedite the procedures in the Small Claims Court.

Iain Gray: Court procedures are regulated by the court and not by the Executive.

  However, I understand that a review of small claim procedure in the sheriff court by the Sheriff Court Rules Council has just been completed and that new procedure rules are being proposed. The approval of new rules is a matter for the Court of Session under section 32 of the Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1971.

Justice

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether lay representatives are entitled to represent applicants under the Mortgage Rights (Scotland) Act.

Jackie Baillie: In the Sheriff Court, rights of audience are generally restricted to the parties themselves or their legal representative, unless specific provision has been made in the primary legislation. The Mortgage Rights (Scotland) Act makes no specific provision for lay representation.

  The approach taken in the Act requires that statutory notices to the debtor draw attention to the advisability of getting legal and other advice (such as advice on debt management). This should ensure that households facing mortgage repossession action secure appropriate advice and support at an early stage to help find a way through their difficulties and ultimately get back on their feet.

Justice

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many mortgage repossession orders have been made in each court district in each quarter of 2001 to date.

Iain Gray: The recorded figures for the number of mortgage repossession orders granted in each court district in each quarter of 2001 to date are shown in the following table:

  


Court 
  

1q 2001 
  

2q 2001 
  

3q 2001 
  



Aberdeen 
  

10 
  

0 
  

89 
  



Airdrie 
  

97 
  

99 
  

84 
  



Alloa 
  

23 
  

16 
  

1 
  



Arbroath 
  

14 
  

17 
  

16 
  



Ayr 
  

38 
  

8 
  

11 
  



Banff 
  

7 
  

8 
  

6 
  



Campbeltown 
  

0 
  

1 
  

3 
  



Cupar 
  

15 
  

20 
  

3 
  



Dingwall 
  

8 
  

11 
  

3 
  



Dornoch 
  

1 
  

0 
  

5 
  



Dumbarton 
  

45 
  

43 
  

40 
  



Dumfries 
  

10 
  

17 
  

29 
  



Dundee 
  

49 
  

29 
  

61 
  



Dunfermline 
  

37 
  

30 
  

29 
  



Dunoon 
  

3 
  

7 
  

6 
  



Duns 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Edinburgh 
  

39 
  

102 
  

73 
  



Elgin 
  

25 
  

10 
  

9 
  



Falkirk 
  

50 
  

21 
  

38 
  



Forfar 
  

8 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Fort William 
  

3 
  

3 
  

3 
  



Glasgow 
  

145 
  

180 
  

228 
  



Greenock 
  

21 
  

24 
  

4 
  



Haddington 
  

22 
  

23 
  

14 
  



Hamilton 
  

122 
  

123 
  

38 
  



Inverness 
  

36 
  

39 
  

38 
  



Jedburgh 
  

2 
  

5 
  

0 
  



Kilmarnock 
  

3 
  

30 
  

78 
  



Kirkcaldy 
  

64 
  

48 
  

56 
  



Kirkcudbright 
  

1 
  

4 
  

2 
  



Kirkwall 
  

0 
  

1 
  

1 
  



Lanark 
  

11 
  

8 
  

15 
  



Lerwick 
  

3 
  

2 
  

1 
  



Linlithgow 
  

44 
  

66 
  

52 
  



Lochmaddy 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Oban 
  

2 
  

1 
  

3 
  



Paisley 
  

82 
  

67 
  

1 
  



Peebles 
  

1 
  

0 
  

2 
  



Perth 
  

29 
  

10 
  

22 
  



Peterhead 
  

34 
  

22 
  

22 
  



Portree 
  

5 
  

1 
  

5 
  



Rothesay 
  

1 
  

2 
  

8 
  



Selkirk 
  

8 
  

6 
  

7 
  



Stirling 
  

8 
  

9 
  

15 
  



Stonehaven 
  

9 
  

14 
  

7 
  



Stornoway 
  

2 
  

4 
  

4 
  



Stranraer 
  

3 
  

5 
  

6 
  



Tain 
  

2 
  

1 
  

0 
  



Wick 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Grand Total 
  

1,142 
  

1,137 
  

1,138

Justice

Mr John McAllion (Dundee East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions since its introduction the right of children to give evidence to a commissioner under section 271 of the Criminal Procedures (Scotland) Act 1995 has been exercised.

Iain Gray: Statistics on this matter are not collected for the High Court. Since 1995, there have been six Sheriff Court applications to have evidence taken on commission under section 271. All of these were granted. It is not known how many of them related to child witnesses.

Justice

Mr John McAllion (Dundee East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has (a) undertaken any review of the right of children to give evidence to a commissioner under section 271 of the Criminal Procedures (Scotland) Act 1995 since its introduction, (b) identified any problems relating to this right and (c) taken any steps to encourage the exercise of this right.

Iain Gray: No, although the Executive intends to undertake research in connection with its forthcoming consultation paper on vulnerable witnesses. This will try to establish how often the measures available to assist such witnesses under section 271 are used, and the reasons for this. It is for the prosecution and defence to decide whether to make an application under section 271 in an individual case, and for the court to decide whether to grant such an application.

Legislation

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in bringing forward a Family Law (Scotland) Bill and when any such Bill will be introduced.

Iain Gray: As announced in Working together for Scotland: A Programme for Government , we will bring forward a draft bill to reform family law. We intend to publish a draft in the second half of 2002. Such a Bill would be the subject of consultation and would be introduced when parliamentary time allows.

Legislation

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question SIW-15753 by Mr Jim Wallace on 11 July 2001, what its position is on the Scottish Law Commission’s Report on Boundary Division Walls (Report No. 163, page 1, paragraph 1.4, footnote 6), where the commission cited the case of Robertson v Scott 1886 13R 1127 to justify its opinion that this case was central to changing the law on march fence type divisions.

Iain Gray: The Executive considers reports of the Scottish Law Commission as a whole. As I have previously explained, the report recommended that it was not necessary to introduce legislation either to reform or restate the existing law on boundary walls. The Executive supports this view and does not plan to take any action in this area.

Mental Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive why local authorities have reduced spending by £8 million on adult mental health problems in 1999-2000 compared with 1996-97, as detailed on page 78 of the Scottish Community Care Statistics 2000 .

Malcolm Chisholm: The   1996-97 information is not directly comparable with that for later years due to differences in the way the information is collected. Gross expenditure on services for adults with mental health problems increased by £15 million between 1997-98 and 1999-2000.

NHS Waiting Times

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the current average waiting times are for treatment at accident and emergency departments in (a) Scotland and (b) the Greater Glasgow Health Board area.

Susan Deacon: The latest available information on waiting times in accident and emergency departments, compiled from the survey undertaken in March/April 2000, is available on the SHOW website at:

  http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/isd/Scottish_Health_Statistics/subject/AandE/01_01_a&.pdf

Research

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made since September 1999 in the commercialisation of basic research.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive is strongly committed to improving the extent of commercialisation of research, as detailed in the:

  Report of the Knowledge Economy Taskforce, published in April 1999:

  (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library/documents-w9/knec-00.htm);

  the Knowledge Economy Cross-Cutting Initiative Report :

  (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/government/ketf_ccr.pdf), published in February 2001, and

  A Science Strategy for Scotland (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/education/ssfs-00.asp) published in August 2001. The Scottish Executive’s survey Intellectual Property Commercialisation in the Scottish Higher Education Sector, published in August 2001, indicates that the sector has already made encouraging moves in this direction, with most universities now having established technology transfer offices (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/who/elld/reports/finalreport.asp).

  Commercialisation is supported by a variety of publicly funded initiatives, with our intention being to provide a pipeline of support at every stage along the path from university laboratory to full-scale production. These include the Scottish Enterprise/Royal Society of Edinburgh Enterprise Fellowships, Scottish Enterprise's Proof of Concept Fund; and the Executive’s SMART, SPUR and TCS schemes, all of which have been started or enhanced since 1999. Last year, the Scottish Institute for Enterprise was established, with £4 million funding from the UK Department of Trade and Industry to provide opportunities for scientists and potential scientific entrepreneurs to obtain the necessary management and business skills. It was recently awarded a further £2 million to expand its work.

  In my annual guidance letter last year, I encouraged the Scottish Higher Education (SHEFC) Funding Council to continue its work in promoting commercialisation and to ensure that funding streams reflected this. As a result, SHEFC has set up a new Knowledge Transfer Grant of around £6 million per year, and a joint SHEFC and Scottish Enterprise working group has also been established to consider how the two organisations can achieve greater complementarity in their policies for promoting commercialisation and innovation.

Roads

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail (a) the inspection schedule for manhole covers on the M8 by the trunk road contractors; (b) the criteria to determine whether a manhole cover on a trunk road is inspected, and (c) the design standards for manhole covers on trunk roads.

Sarah Boyack: The inspection schedule for the M8 motorway, which is unchanged from the previous trunk road contracts, covers all inventory items, including manhole covers. The trunk road contract requires that a safety inspection is undertaken every seven days with a further safety patrol undertaken every seven days between safety inspections. Detailed inspections are carried out annually to establish programmes of routine maintenance operations not requiring urgent execution.

  British Standard BS EN 124 refers to current design standards for new manholes and is covered in the manual of Contract Documents for Highway Works – Volume 1, Specification for Highway Works – Clause 507 – Chambers and Volume 3 and Highway Construction Details.

Social Inclusion

David McLetchie (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown by department and by project of the public funds paid and/or committed to organisations and projects based within the Craigmillar district of Edinburgh over the last two financial years and of the funding commitments made in respect of the current and next financial year.

Jackie Baillie: Information on Executive spending is not generally attributable to specific neighbourhoods. However, the available information is as follows:

  Identifiable Scottish Executive spending in Craigmillar.

  

 

1999-2000
(£ million) 
  

2000-01
(£ million) 
  

2001-02
plans
(£ million) 
  

2002-03
plans
(£ million) 
  



Scottish Executive Development 
  Department 
  



Social Inclusion Partnership Fund 
  

1.669 
  

1.755 
  

1.917 
  

1.971 
  



New Housing Partnership Fund 
  

3.305 
  

8.454 
  

11.559 
  

- 
  



Scottish Executive Justice Department 
  



CCTV 
  

0.040 
  

- 
  

0.096 
  

- 
  



Community Safety 
  

- 
  

0.018 
  

- 
  

- 
  



  The recipient organisations are as follows:

  City of Edinburgh Council (SIP Fund),

  City of Edinburgh Council & Scottish Homes (NHP 1999-2002 resources),

  Magdalene Youth Project (Community Safety) and

  Thistle Foundation Estate & Craigmillar Partnership (CCTV).

Social Inclusion

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what ethnic community languages are spoken in Scotland and how many people who speak each language regard it as their first language.

Jackie Baillie: The Centre for Education for Racial Equality in Scotland’s Report Bilingualism, Community Languages and Scottish Education , published in 1999, quotes 60 languages used in daily life, including community languages.

Social Inclusion

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether ethnic communities have convenient access to interpretation facilities and whether there are a sufficient number of interpreters available for each language.

Jackie Baillie: The Executive has convened a group to examine the provision of translation, interpreting and communication support across the public sector in Scotland.

  The group, which includes representatives from local government, health boards, the police, the Commission for Race Equality, the Disability Rights Commission and the Scottish Refugee Council, will report early next year and the report will include a consultative draft framework of standards.

Teachers

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to assist teachers in incorporating information and communications technology into regular classroom practices.

Nicol Stephen: The National Grid for Learning (NGfL) Progress Report, published by the Executive in August 2001 at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/education/nglr-00.asp, sets out the achievements in the first three years of the NGfL programme. In addition to the £80 million investment in infrastructure, these include assistance for more than 10,000 teachers so far to buy a computer for home use, development of a wide range of digital learning material and seminars to share best practice. All teachers in Scotland are also eligible for ICT training aimed at classroom practice through the New Opportunities Fund programme.

Tourism

Mr Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17978 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 20 September 2001, whether Highlands and Islands Enterprise’s undertaking, in the agreement made under section 75 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1987, that it may choose to dismantle and remove the funicular and buildings and reinstate the site, breaches the £9.4 million limit on the amount of public money which Highlands and Islands Enterprise is authorised to spend on the Cairn Gorm Funicular railway.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The capital investment figure relates to the capital cost of the funicular and has since been revised to include additional purchase of associated buildings. To date Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) have invested £11.95 million in the total development. This does not include the cost of dismantling and removing the funicular and buildings and reinstating the site in the event of commercial failure. Any such costs will be a matter for discussion HIE, CairnGorm Mountain (formerly Cairngorm Chairlift Company Ltd), Scottish Natural Heritage and Highland Council.

Voluntary Sector

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring it is undertaking of the progress made by local authorities in establishing three-year funding packages for major voluntary sector groups within their areas.

Jackie Baillie: The funding arrangements that exist between local authorities and voluntary organisations are a matter for the parties concerned. However, the Scottish Executive is committed to encouraging other funders to work towards a stable funding environment for the voluntary sector and its indicative three-year financial settlements for local authorities will make it easier for them, in turn, to offer three-year funding to voluntary groups.

  As part of the Executive’s review of its funding for the voluntary sector, we intend to look at whether it is possible for all funders of the sector, including local authorities, to work together to ensure that they are operating in way that meets their own needs and the needs of the sector.

Waste Management

Iain Smith (North-East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it intends to develop at a national level for the proportion of all municipal waste (a) recycled, (b) going into landfill, (c) composted and (d) used to generate energy as part of its strategy to meet the requirements of the landfill directive.

Rhona Brankin: The issue of targets is being considered by the Recycling Targets Group, which has been established by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and is made up of representatives from SEPA, the Scottish Executive, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, local authorities, Audit Scotland and Recycling Market Development Scotland.

  The decision on any national targets for recycling, landfill, composting or energy recovery will be informed by the findings of this group and the area waste plans currently being developed as part of the National Waste Strategy: Scotland. The area waste plans will take into account the requirements of the landfill directive.

Waste Management

Iain Smith (North-East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline the expected timescale for the adoption of area waste plans covering the whole of Scotland.

Rhona Brankin: Consultation on the draft area waste plans is programmed to occur in most cases by the end of 2001, with the remainder by the end of the financial year. Once consultation has been completed, individual plans will be finalised. It is expected that area waste plans covering the whole of Scotland will be adopted in summer 2002.

Waste Management

Iain Smith (North-East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what relationship any targets set within area waste plans will have with the development of targets at a national level for recycling and reduction in the volume of waste proceeding into landfill.

Rhona Brankin: Any targets set within area waste plans will inform the development of policy at a national level, including targets where appropriate.

Waste Management

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether new Public/Private Partnership schemes are eligible for funding from the Strategic Waste Fund.

Rhona Brankin: Yes.

Waste Management

John Scott (Ayr) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any further funding will be made available to local authorities for investment in waste disposal beyond the three-year period of the Strategic Waste Fund.

Rhona Brankin: This is a matter to be considered in future spending reviews.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Project

David McLetchie (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Presiding Officer whether the termination of the contract with Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd will lead to any additional costs in respect of the works the company was contracted to undertake in relation to the Holyrood Project.

Sir David Steel: Procurement options to replace Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd are being assessed following the recent contract termination. The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has confirmed that it is therefore not yet possible to determine if additional costs will be incurred, but that everything possible will be done to minimise such costs, if they arise.

Holyrood Project

David McLetchie (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Presiding Officer whether the process of finding another contractor or contractors to undertake the work which Flour City Architectural Metals Ltd (UK) was contracted to undertake will give rise to any delay in the completion of the Holyrood Project.

Sir David Steel: The work involved in the cladding package for the MSP block, which Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd were contracted to undertake has been re-sequenced in the building programme. The revised arrangements for this package are therefore unlikely to impact on the project completion date.

Holyrood Project

David McLetchie (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Presiding Officer how many other companies submitted a tender for the work awarded to Flour City Architectural Metals Ltd (UK).

Sir David Steel: Of the five short-listed contractors invited to tender for the MSP block cladding package, only one company, other than Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd, actually submitted a tender.

Holyrood Project

David McLetchie (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Presiding Officer whether there was a performance bond or guarantee given by Flour City Architectural Metals Ltd (UK) in respect of the contract that it was awarded.

Sir David Steel: Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd   was contractually obliged to submit a   performance bond, but failed to do so. This transgression by the contractor led to the issue of a "notice of failure". A parent company guarantee was provided only days before the company became insolvent.

Holyrood Project

David McLetchie (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Presiding Officer, in view of the termination of the Flour City Architectural Metals Ltd (UK) contract, whether there is any prospect of recovering from Flour City any additional costs in respect of the work awarded to it.

Sir David Steel: Any additional costs directly attributable to Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd’s failure to meet contract terms, cannot be quantified for some time, but recovery will be actively pursued. The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has confirmed that, once identified, they will be formally notified to the appointed receiver, and it is not possible to predict the outcome of the ensuing process.

Holyrood Project

Ms Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer,  further to his answer to question S1W-18868 on 12 October 2001, whether any members of the design team had reservations about the ability of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd to perform according to their contract.

Sir David Steel: Performance monitoring of all contractors is a normal on-going process of the management of the Parliament building project. As a result of this process, Design Team members began to have concerns about the performance of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd during May 2001. The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has informed me that tangible assurances, in terms of recovery programmes and sample delivery dates, were subsequently provided by the contractor and work commenced on site in June 2001.